Leskeaceae is a heterogeneous family, with genera exhibiting widely divergent morphologies, and with some taxa more closely related to Anomodontaceae, Pterigynandraceae, and Thuidiaceae (J. R. Spence 1996). Recent molecular studies confirm this phylogenetic heterogeneity (A. M. Gardiner et al. 2005; M. S. Ignatov et al. 2006; D. García-Avila et al. 2009), and suggest that there are at least three distinct groups of core genera, centered around Lescuraea, Leskea, and Pseudoleskeella, respectively. Although there is some merit in recognizing Pseudoleskeaceae, following W. P. Schimper, for Lescuraea, Pseudoleskea, Ptychodium, and Rigodiadelphus, this does not solve the problem of where to place Pseudoleskeella. Morphological and molecular evidence also suggests that Claopodium is near Anomodon, and Leptopterigynandrum near Heterocladium. On the other hand, core Leskeaceae, including Haplocladium, Leskea, and Lindbergia, are phylogenetically closer to Thuidiaceae than to the Pseudoleskeaceae group. A. Vanderpoorten et al. (2003b) have shown that Platylomella, currently in Amblystegiaceae, may be close to the Leskeaceae-Thuidiaceae clade, although its correct placement remains unresolved. The original concepts of Leskeaceae and Thuidiaceae, based on sporophyte characters (W. R. Buck and H. A. Crum 1990), are not supported by either gametophyte morphology or molecular data (Spence; Gardiner et al.).